For the third year in a row, The Princeton Review named the University of Massachusetts Boston “Best in the Northeast.” For this year, UMass Boston made it on the “2018 Best Colleges Region by Region.”

The report, published on the Princeton Review, read that UMass Boston is known for its “dedicated and diverse student population, solid academic reputation, affordability and proximity to the cultural riches of the city of Boston.” This is also the fourth time overall that UMass Boston has made it on the list, according to an article published by UMass Boston’s Office of Communications.

The Princeton Review also stated in their report, “the urban areas surrounding the unique waterfront campus provide students with numerous opportunities to conduct research in collaboration with community and nonprofit organizations.” The report also mentions UMass Boston’s expected residence complex due to open in 2018.

The Princeton Review is a nationally recognized college admission services company. The company offers online courses, test preparations, and also tutoring resources to universities and accelerated university programs. Generally, the Princeton Review ranks its schools based on what it considers to offer a “best classroom experience” according to their website. The Princeton Review also ranks its schools based on universities that are considered academically excellent.

The Princeton Review’s website also showcases details about their acclaimed universities, including a description about a university, as well as overview of the number of applicants that attend that school, acceptance rate, and average GPA rankings.

According to their website, they report that on average, about 19 percent of students at UMass Boston have a GPA of a 3.75 or above and that 5 percent have a GPA between  2.00 and a 2.49.

There are 658 colleges in total on the list. This year, UMass Boston was ranked out of their “Best 382 Colleges” in their 2018 edition, published earlier this summer.

UMass Boston Interim Chancellor Barry Mills spoke on the matter: “This designation shows The Princeton Review recognizes what I have observed in my first few months here,” said Mills in a report by UMass Boston’s Office of Communications. “I am impressed by the drive and accomplishments of our students, the quality and commitment of the faculty and staff, and the world-changing research and education that we offer here.”